Coalition for Community Schools National Forum Philadelphia, Pennsylvania April 8, 2010 Building Capacity to Implement Community Schools Darlene Kamine Community Learning Center Institute Jane Quinn National Center for Community Schools

Objectives of Today’s Session Understand that there are many starting points for capacity-building efforts Learn about successful capacity-building systems in two community school sites Share best practices from other sites Identify both content and processes of capacity-building in community schools Assess state of your own capacity-building

Building capacity a ton of bricks at a time

Building capacity one brick at a time

What foundation is already in place? Is there a Board of Education policy supporting district-wide community schools? Are the community schools intended to be remedial or transformative? Who will be the point person coordinating the community schools for the school district?

What foundation is already in place? Will the district support schools being open beyond the school day and to the community? Will dedicated partnership space be provided without rent or overhead cost? Will there be funding from the school district for partnerships?

What foundation is already in place? What is the plan for building and sustaining the infrastructure district-wide and at each site level? Will selection of partnerships be responsive to community engagement at the site level or driven by central office?

Building capacity through community engagement

Strategies for community engagement at the site level 1. Facilitated process for creating a shared vision with school and neighborhood 2. Create shared ownership, not buy-in. 3. Identify the existing assets in the school and community 4. Develop consensus around needs and priorities 5. Create community schools as a set of co- located and linked partnerships with focus on reallocating existing resources.

Strategies for engaging partners to develop district-wide capacity 1.Identify all potential partners in each program area in the community. 2. Demonstrate customer demand and benefit of partnerships with school. 3. Facilitate development of partnership networks with single point of contact leadership.

Strategies for engaging partners to develop district-wide capacity Role of partnership network to build capacity to ensure equitable access for all sites broker selection of partnerships at site level develop viable business plan and sustainable funding on behalf of the partner members support implementation of partnerships provide ongoing quality control, professional development and support work with other partnership networks to create district- wide cross boundary leadership team / macro community school

Cross Boundary Leadership Team Early Childhood College Access Green& Healthy Strive Partnership Cincy After School Leave No Child Inside Growing Well MindPeace Tutoring Mentoring Adopt a Class Arts Education InnovationsParent Network Community Learning Center Institute

A Second Approach... Central team at The Children’s Aid Society provides direction, guidance and support to our 22 community schools: “Getting them what they need when they need it” Regular, high quality supervision and on-site coaching Budgeting and fiscal management Funding and fundraising Program quality supports

Professional Development/Networking We build capacity through regular infrastructure that includes: Monthly work group meetings/affinity groups --CS Directors --Program Directors --Parent Coordinators Annual summer institute for CS Directors CS Orientation for all new full-time CS staff Semi-annual mandatory PD for afterschool staff

Lessons about Capacity Building From our national TA work, Children’s Aid has learned: Think of CB as an investment, rather than a cost Build it into your budget Consider both the content (topics) and processes (methodologies) of CB Effective CB is co-constructed Everything is developmental and relational

How to Contact Us: Darlene Kamine Director, Community Learning Center Institute 513/ Jane Quinn Director, National Center for Community Schools 646/